A Walk Down Memory Lane
by gypsywriter135
Summary: While the boys are out a routine training run, Splinter reflects on their lives.
1. Chapter 1

So, while I should be studying for the Chemistry test that I have tomorrow, or at least working on more of "Four Letters", I started working on this :) It's my first try at a first person point of view, so I want to know what you think.

I was reading some other stories, and I got this idea. I didn't mean to copy the idea, so I apologize now. If you feel I have stolen anything (which is not my intent!) then let me know and I'll take it off right away! But I tried to add my own twists to it so that I didn't steal it.

But anyways. On to the show! :)

Disclaimer: The TMNT and Co. are not mine :(

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

I heard one of my sons approaching my door, and, by the softness and lightness of the steps, it had to be Leonardo. They came to a stop directly outside my door.

"Enter," I said, before the turtle on the other side was able to even knock.

Sure enough, the turtle that poked his head around the doorframe was indeed Leonardo, his eyes slightly wide. I chuckled inside, knowing how is had always amazed my sons my ability to sense who it was before they even took action.

"We're going on our nightly run, Master Splinter," he told me.

I nodded, giving him the okay. On the other side, I heard Michelangelo yell something to Leonardo. My eldest son listened carefully, then rolled his eyes. He turned his attention back to me.

"Mikey wants to know if it's okay if we stop by and visit April and Casey before we come home," he said, slight amusement in his voice.

I pretended to think about it, knowing that if my sons thought that I was unsure about their request, they would feel all the more excitement at my approval. It seems unfair, I know, but just seeing their excitement made it alright. Especially because it was their human friends, whom I knew that they loved to see.

"Yes, you may go and visit Miss O'Neil and Mr. Jones," I said.

Leonardo allowed a small smile to grace his features before he quickly covered it. "Thank you, Sensei," he replied, bowing his head slightly in respect.

He made to leave, but before he was able to close the door, I called him back.

"Yes, Master Splinter?" he asked, a curious look on his face.

I gave him a small smile. "Have fun, my son."

Leonardo smiled warmly at me. "We'll see you later, Father," he said, and then closed the door. I listened as he approached his brothers and said something quietly to them. Michelangelo let out a happy cry, and then there was a small, pained yelp as someone, most likely Raphael, smacked him on the back of the head. There was some conversations exchanged quickly, and then the four of them left, closing the lair door behind them.

I smiled contently, listening to the quiet that surrounded our home. It was rare that our home was this silent. And, though I love my sons very much, I couldn't help but miss the days where I could leave them in one place, and when I cam back, they were still there, and they were quiet.

TMNT

"_Pwease?"_

_I looked down at the small turtle below me, hands clasped in front of his face, and eyes wide. Behind him on the couch, his three brothers sat, looking at me with the same expression._

"_Pretty please?" The one from the couch asked._

_This seemed to give the other two confidence._

"_We'll go to bed right afterwards!". Another said._

"_We won't be bad no more!" the fourth cried._

_I though about the turtles' request. They had been very well behaved today. There had been no fights, they had taken their naps without complaint, eaten all of their dinner and drank their milk, and nothing had been broken._

_I looked back at the four turtle tots, who were gazing at me with pleading eyes._

_I smiled. "Okay," I said._

_The turtle at my feet smiled and hugged my legs tightly. One of his brothers on the couch let out a triumphant yell, and the other two gave one another a high five._

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you!" the young child cried, looking up at me with wide eyes._

_I smiled at carefully pried his tiny arms from my legs. He took my hand and lead me over to the couch as fast as his little feet would carry him._

"_Sit by me, Master Splinter!" One cried as I sat down, holding onto my arm._

"_No! Sit by me!" A second argued, grabbing my other arm and pulling slightly on it._

"_Master Splinter wants to sit by me, right?" a third yelled, pushing the first and looking at me with eager eyes._

_The fourth just looked at me, eyes wide._

"_I will sit in the middle," I said, making an incoming argument disappear before it had time to even brew. "Two of you can sit beside me, and two may sit on my lap."_

_Four green heads moved up and down quickly. There was some scrambling, and eventually, they four were situated. The two beside me, the larger of the four, leaned their heads against me. The smaller two on my lap snuggled into the crook between my arm and my body. I smiled and turned the television on, flipping to the channel that held the movie that the children were so eager to watch._

_It was about an hour into the program that I began to hear soft snores erupt around me. Glancing to my sides, I saw the two sleeping, one of them with his mouth open, a small stream of drool slowly making its way down his chin. One of the two in my arms mumbled something in his sleep, and the settled down once more._

_Careful not to wake them, I gently stood up and placed the smaller two on the couch with their brothers, where the four immediately and, still asleep, groped to find each other, and they all ended up touching the others in some small way. I grabbed one of the small and ratty (no pun intended) that we owned and covered them, making sure they were warm. I then retired to the other side of the underground tunnel we had made our home._

_I had found a few books about turtles, and for the past few months, had read up on how to take care of them, and what exactly they needed to survive._

_So far, I had only discovered a few things. First of all, all four of them were male. And the type of turtles that they were called "Red Eared Sliders", or "RES" for short. Turtles were cold blooded, so that meant that the four little turtles had to stay warm all the time, and, during the winter, I was careful to make sure that they were nice and toasty._

_The only thing I had yet to figure out was their ages. After some careful studying, I had deduced that they were about three years old. But the difficulty lay not in their age, but the difference between them. At one point, I had assumed that the two larger turtles were older, but after observing them, it seemed that one of the smaller turtles had the makings of the eldest brother._

_And the other thing I had yet to do was name the four of them. For the past few years, I had referred to them simply as a group. "Boys," was a common thing said in the house, and I feared that if I didn't name them soon, they would all answer to that, and chaos would ensue._

_I had picked up a few other books as well, one of them being about the time period called "The Renessiance." I had heard about it before, and a few names had jumped out at me. Michelangelo, who painted the Sistien Chapel, and Leonardo Da Vinci, who had created the famous portrait "Mona Lisa."_

_Two other names also stood out; the sculptor and painter Donatello and Raphael. All four had great artistic talent, and were well known and respected in their society._

_I had been debating choosing these names for the turtles, but something was stopping me. I didin't know what it was, but it just didn't seem… right… Naming four, young mutated turtles after the four great Renaissance masters…_

"_Master Splinter?"_

_I looked up from the book I was reading and saw one of my subjects, one of the larger ones, standing there, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned._

"_What is it, child?" I asked, setting the book aside, still open to the page I was reading._

"_I was just wondering…" he said, shifting his feet. "You know how in the movie…"_

_He stopped, looking at me with hesitant eyes._

"_Go on," I said, looking at him expectantly. When he said nothing, I sighed, and motioned for him to come over. He quickly made his way over and came into my arms, nuzzling up to my chest. I slowly wrapped my arms around him._

"_You know how we call you Master Splinter?" he said softly._

_I nodded._

"_And in the movie everyone was called something different?"_

_I nodded again._

"_What is that called?  
_

"_What do you mean?" I asked, confused as to where this was going._

"_What is it called when you are called something different from everyone else?" the turtle re-phrased his question._

_Understanding hit me. "Those are called names," I told him. "Everyone has a name."_

"_Oh…" my subject yawned again, and then was silent._

_He was so quiet for a long time, and I was just about to put him back with his brothers, thinking he was asleep, when he spoke again._

"_Master Splinter?" he said._

"_Yes?"_

"… _What's my name?"_

_I was slightly startled. How was it that one so young could pick up on this so quickly? I looked down at him, where he was practically asleep, but awake enough to hear the answer to his question. My eyes roamed over him, and I saw where I had taken care of a cut he had received earlier. I realized that he was the turtle who had managed to somehow fix the broken television I had brought back earlier, resulting in the movie we had watched tonight._

_For one that was so young and smart, and so good with his hands; putting things together and taking them apart…_

"_Your name," I said softly, picking him up and carrying him over to his brothers. I lay him down, and he grabbed onto the shell of the other larger turtle. "Will be forever yours. It will help define who you are."_

" '_Kay," he mumbled, seeming satisfied with this answer._

For now, at least,_ I thought._

"_Night, Master Splinter," he said, drifting off into a deep and peaceful slumber._

_I smiled, covering them once more with the blanket. "Good night, my young Donatello."_

_Tomorrow, I would give them all names. And I would give them all colored bandanas, so as to tell them apart easier._

_Tomorrow, we would become a family._

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

What did you think about the first person view? I like to be "all-knowing", and I figured that since Splinter is basically "all-knowing" to begin with, he would be a good start to try first person with.

Anyways, please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so the plot bunnies have attacked. No, seriously, I can't concentrate on anything else. I bring my laptop to class and I'm typing stories in class. It's that bad. So, I decided to post the next chapter of this while, 1) I have time and 2) before I go off to work on my other story and my bunnies swarm me again.

So, look for a bunch of new stories coming your way! But in the meantime, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Although the TMNT do not belong to me, I have named my new fish after them...

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

I smiled at the memory, remembering how small my sons were. I unfolded my legs from under me, and stood with the help of my staff. I made my way to the kitchen, where I put on a pot of water, heating it over the stove for my tea.

My sons had grown so fast. It had been only a little while after that that I had started training them in the ways of the ninja. By that time, they had gotten more rambunkcious, and it had taken all of my willpower not to do anything rash. Or to do something I might have regretted later…

"_It's my turn!"_

"_No way, Raphie! You had it yesterday!"_

"_Stop yelling, Mikey! Master Splinter is napping!"_

"_Don't boss them around, Leo!"_

"_Yeah! Thanks, Donny!"_

"_Mikey, give me that remote!"_

"_Ahhh!"_

"_Raphie, get off of him!"_

"_Leo! Help me!"_

"_Donny! Get Raphie!"_

"_Ack!"_

_My eyebrow twitched. This bantering had been going on all week, and today was no different. I had been trying to meditate, but it seemed impossible with four six year old turtles running around._

_There was a sudden crash, complete silence, and then someone crying. There were other hushed whispers. Sighing, I stood and opened the door that lead to my room. As soon as the wood slid open, everything stopped. Our home had never been so quiet._

_Turning, I saw the cause of all the ruckus. On the floor by the door that lead outside, now shattered into a million pieces, lay a vase. Michelangelo, the one that wore the orange bandana, was lying on the floor, surrounded by the broken shards. He had tears in his eyes and his lower lip was trembling. His brothers were surrounding him, Raphael looking guilty. Donatello was looking at the broken vase, and Leonardo was avoiding my gaze._

"_Who would like to tell me what has happened?" I asked sternly, looking at all of them._

_The four of them looked at each other, silently arguing. It was finally Michelangelo, who's tears began to stream down his face from his blue eyes, who looked up at me._

"_Raphie was trying to take the remote from me and then Donny pushed me, Master Splinter!" he cried._

"_I did not push you!" Donatello exclaimed. I fell on you because Leo pushed _me_!"_

"_I didn't push you!" Leonardo argued._

_This, of course, caused more chaos as the three smaller turtles argued among themselves. I turned my eyes to Raphael, who gazed calmly back at me._

"_It was my fault, Master Splinter," he said quietly. His brothers abruptly stopped and stared at him, eyes wide. Leonardo's mouth hung slightly open._

"_Go on," I encouraged._

_Raphael glanced a his brothers quickly before turning his eyes on me again. He licked his lips. "I wanted to watch T.V. but it was Mikey's turn, and tried to take the remote from him. He ran away, and Donny and Leo were only trying to stop me from hurting him."_

_I looked at the other turtles. "Is this true?" I asked._

_Michelangelo was quick to agree, followed shortly by Donatello. Leonardo stared at Raphael for a little bit, shocked. And then simply nodded his head._

"_Raphael," I said. "You will be grounded from watching television for the rest of the week."_

_The turtle in red's face fell._

"_Because the rest of you were involved, and none of you came forward when the time came, the three of you are to do the dishes after dinner for the rest of the week," I added._

_Three faces turned to me, disbelief on their faces._

"_But, Master Splinter!" Three little voices chorused._

_I held up my hand and they immediately stopped. "My decision is final." I turned on tail and went to the kitchen to get a broom and a dustpan. When I returned, Raphael and Leonardo were off to the side, whispering quietly to one another. Donatello was looking over the broken vase, a thoughtful look on his face. Michelangelo was sitting where I had left him._

_I handed the broom to Raphael and the dustpan to Leonardo. "You two will clean this up," I said._

"_Master Splinter," Donatello spoke up, looking at me with eager eyes. "I think I can put the vase back together…"_

_I looked into his eyes and saw determination and confidence. I sighed. "Very well." I then turned to the smallest of the turtles. "Michelangelo, come with me. We shall clean up your cuts."_

_The turtle sniffed and wiped his eyes with his arm, nodding. He stood and carefully made his way over to me. I took his hand and led him to my room, where I sat him upon the mat and went over to the nearby cupboard. I came back to the turtle, who was still sniffling, and kneeled down._

"_Show me where you are hurt, child," I said softly._

_The young turtle flexed his leg, showing me his knee. It was bleeding slightly, but upon further inspection, I found no shards of glass. I cleaned the wound and then bandaged it up._

"_Master Splinter?"_

_I looked into the eyes of the turtle tot, who still had tears in his eyes. "Yes?"_

"… _Are you mad that we broke your vase?"_

_My eyes widened slightly. "Why would you think that?"_

_Michelangelo looked away. "Because you seem mad…"_

_I was quiet, sensing there was more he wanted to say._

"_And on T.V., when kids break things, the grown ups yell at them…"_

"_I assure you that I am not mad," I told him. I stood. "Now go help your brothers clean up the vase."_

_I turned my back, but when I heard no movement, I looked back. The turtle was still sitting there._

"_Master Splinter?"_

"_What, child?"_

"_You know how Leo and Donny and Raphie and me are brothers?" he asked. I nodded. "Does that… does that make you our dad?"_

_My whiskers bristled at the question he was asking. I had never though of it before. It surely seemed like a valid assumption, but I wouldn't exactly call myself a father. But still, I had raised the four turtles this far… maybe…_

_I shook my head slightly, clearing my head, and looked at Michelangelo, who was still sitting there, watching me intently, waiting for a response._

"_I… guess that you would be correct," I said thoughtfully._

_Michelangelo grinned, the sadness disappearing from his eyes immediately. He hurridly got up, wincing slightly at his injured knee, and ran towards me, hugging me around my waist. He grinned up at me._

"_I love you, dad," he said._

_He looked down at him, seeing the happiness in his face. I couldn't help but smile as well._

"_I love you too, my son."_

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

I like it when the turtles are little. It makes me chuckle to think of what trouble they used to get into... :)

Review? Please? It'll help me work on my 10 page term paper!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

Oh, my! I didn't realize that I hadn't updated this story in forever! I'm so sorry! I was just uploading all my documents so that I could post them, when I saw this chapter and it hit me that I hadn't updated this story! Please, forgive me! It won't happen again! I swear!

Anyways, hope everyone is doing well! my muses refuse to let me rest, but that's a different story! Anyways, here's the next chapter! Please, enjoy!

Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine, nor is the last line said by Mikey.

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

My teapot whistled, indicating that the water inside was finished, startling me from my thoughts. That moment we had truly been a family. From then on, I had been the father and they had been my sons.

I poured my tea into my cup, letting the calming scent wash over me, smiling as I remember a few years later, when I had given my sons their very own weapons. That had been an interesting day as well.

Then again, with raising four boys, when _wasn't_ it interesting?

_My four sons… my four students, kneeled in front of me in a straight line. They were looking at me with eager eyes, following my every move._

_The four of them were eight years old now, and had been training in the art of ninjitsu for the past four years. They had all progressed nicely, and a few months ago, I had begun teaching them with weapons. After observing them, I had finally picked out four weapons for each of them._

"_I have watched the four of you very closely these past few months," I told them. "And today, you will be receiving your very own weapons."_

_The four of them looked at each other, grinning. Then they turned their eyes back to me._

"_Donatello," I said. My son in purple stood. He was slightly bigger than Michelangelo and Leonardo, but still smaller than Raphael. He approached me and stood awkwardly in front of me. "You are intelligent, always thinking your way through carefully before making a decision. You are wary of your opponents every move, careful to determine what they are thinking. You fight defensively, and for that, you shall receive the bo staff."_

_I turned around and picked up the long, wooden staff, giving it to my son. He took it, staring at it and letting his eyes run over it, already thinking of how he could use it to his advantage. He turned his eyes up to meet mine. He bowed respectfully, then turned back to his brothers. I could see him smile happily at them as he took his spot next to his other brothers._

"_Raphael," I called. My largest son stood and slowly made his way to me. He was by far the largest of my sons, both in height and in broadness. "You are strong, loyal, and compassionate. You always know what to do next, though it may now always be the best course of action. You also have an undying passion and a temper that allows you to get things done in a very effective manner. For this, your weapon shall be the twin sais."_

_I picked up the three-pronged weapon and handed them to him He eagerly took them, a sparkle in his eyes as he ran his hands over them. I could see how he was fantasizing about how his opponent would fall under his hands. He bowed, then returned to his seat._

'_Michelangelo." The smallest turtle practically tripped over himself in his excitement to reach me. As he stood before me, bouncing on the heels of his feet, I could tell that I made a good decision with his weapons. "You have an incredible amount of energy that you use to your advantage. You also have speed and eagerness, and though you may not always think ahead, you act in the moment. You can always out-manuver your opponents as well. For this, I have chosen to give you the nunchucks."_

_I handed the small, wooden weapons and he took them, almost dropping them in his excitement. He gave them a practice twirl, but ended up hitting himself on the head._

"_Ow!" he cried, letting them spin to a stop. He looked up at me, lower lip jutting out. I smiled and gently rubbed his head where they had hit. He smiled a bit, then awkwardly bowed and ran back to his spot._

"_Leonardo." The last and possibly only slightly-bigger turtle stood and made his way to me. He almost tripped on his way over, making his brothers snicker at his shell. He shot them a whithering glance, then turned his eyes back to me. "You are strong and defiant and can always make the most of any situation you are put into. You are diligent and always work your hardest, no matter how difficult a task you are trying to accomplish. You are always aware to what is happening around you, and for that, I have given you the twin katana."_

_As I presented the swords that were slightly too big for the small turtle, I could see his eyes get as big as plates. He hesitantly took the swords in hand, letting his eyes roam over the shiny blade as he unsheathed one, seeing his reflection in them. He clumsily bowed to me with the giant swords in his arms, and carefully made his way to his brothers, who were looking quiet shocked at the weapon he had received._

_I looked at the four of them kneeling before me, looking at the weapons they had received. I dismissed them and as they left, I could hear them talking excitingly about what had just occurred. From what I could gather, all of them were surprised that Leonardo had gotten the katana. But I had seen him practice, and knew that I made a good choice._

"_I still can't believe that you got the katana!" I heard Raphael exclaim. "I mean, no offense, Leo, but you just don't seem to use them very well at practice…"_

"_It's okay, Raph," Leonardo responded quietly. I could almost see Leonardo staring at his swords in awe._

"_Donny just a big stick!" Michelangelo cried._

"_It's not just a 'big stick'!" Donatello argued defensively. "It's one of the most defensive weapons a ninja can have! Plus, when you guys won't have any weapons when we're in the middle of no where, I'll be the only one to save your sorry shells!"_

"_Yeah, coming from the turtle with the wooden clubs!" Raphael said to Michelangelo_

"_They are not 'clubs,' they are called nunchucks! And at least I don't have forks!"_

"_Leave my sais out of this!"_

"_Come on, guys, don't fight," Leonardo said weakly, trying to extinguish the fight before it even happened._

_And I couldn't help but chuckle when Michelangelo, in an awed and excited tone, exclaimed, "Dudes! They're like wooden sausages!"_

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

The last line that Mikey says, about his nunchucks, was from a picture I found on Deviantart. It made me chuckle, and is the inspiration behind this chapter! Take a look, it's called "Weapon Distribution" and it's positively fantastic!

Review? Please?


	4. Chapter 4

Here's ther next chapter! Hope you enjoy it! I know I enjoyed writing this!

Disclaimer: The TMNT are still not mine...

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

I took another sip of my tea as I walked back to my room, sitting in the lotus position. The four of them had argued for days over who had the best weapons. Even Leonardo, who was clumsy, had managed to master his swords in a few years. It had been part of what had made me decide that he was going to be the leader.

I closed my eyes. I remember the night like it was yesterday…

_It had been thirteen years since I had found the four baby turtles in the sewer and raised them. Thirteen years that we had been a family. And almost ten years that I had begun training them in the art of ninjitsu. And after this many years of training them, it was time for me to appoint a leader among them, so that they could fully become a team, and so that I could start training him to take over when I eventually left this earth…_

_And tonight was this night. I looked at my sons, kneeling before in a line. They had no idea what I was about to announce; they just thought I was going to tell them about their evening practice, like I had every night for the past eight years._

_They looked a little bored. Michelangelo, always full of energy, was barely sitting still. Donatello had a far off look in his eyes, indicating that he was thinking of the next big project he was working on. Raphael and Leonardo looked eager to hear what I had to say, like they did every night._

_The two of them were so similar. After some more research on my part, with a little help from Donatello, I had discovered that Leonardo was ever so slightly older than Raphael. Donatello and Michelangelo were the two younger turtles. However, Raphael was by the largest sized turtle, followed by Donatello and then Michelangelo. Leonardo was, surprisingly, the smallest. But Raphael and Leonardo were so alike, they did almost everything together. Except that Leonardo preferred to train alone, with no one watching him, while Raphael liked to spar against his other brothers._

_I stopped my pacing and stood in front of the four turtles._

"_My sons," I said. I gained the attention of my other two sons, and continued. "I have been observing you for a long time now, and I think that now is the time that I appoint a leader among you."_

_I saw my sons glance ever so slightly at one another. Leonardo gave Raphael and encouraging smile, while the turtle in red had a confident look on his face. Donatello and Michelangelo smiled at Raphael as well._

"_I have thought long and hard on which one of you that it would be, and I have made my decision. And my decision is final." I put emphasis on my last sentence, making it clear that there would be no changing my mind._

"_Please stand, my sons," I said. The four of them stood, Raphael confident in his pose._

"_Leonardo, please step forward to receive your title as leader."_

_I could see the shock in my sons' faces, even Leonardo's. Michelangelo's blue eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Donatello stared at Leonardo in shock and Raphael looked surprised, confused, sad, and a little angry. Leonardo stared at me, eyes wide and looking very confused. He stood slowly, and I could see his legs shaking slightly. He carefully and cautiously made his way over to me, watching his feet, making sure that he didn't trip._

_I looked down at him, and he looked up at me with large, dark brown eyes that held so much confusion. I smiled comfortingly at him, and he relaxed a bit._

"_Kneel, my son," I ordered softly. He did as he was told, and I turned around, taking the small medal that my Master Yoshi had given me long ago. I faced Leonardo again, and put it around his small neck. "I know you will make me proud, my son."_

_The turtle in blue looked up at me again. His eyes were still wide, and there was something in the back of them that I couldn't quite place. I allowed him to stand, and I put my hands on his shoulders, turning to face his brothers. They were still staring, shocked, at Leonardo, and Michelangelo still had yet to close his mouth._

"_My sons," I said proudly. "I present you with your leader."_

_Leonardo smiled sheepishly at them, and Donatello was the first to return the smile. He seemed generally happy for Leonardo. He was closely followed by Michelangelo, who grinned widely. Raphael, however, still looked shocked._

"_It is time for bed," I concluded, smiling._

_All four of my sons groaned, but trailed out all the same. "Good night, Master Splinter," they chorused. Raphael, the last one out, stopped._

"_Master Splinter?" he asked._

"_Yes, Raphael," I replied, watching him closely._

"_Um… I was just wondering…" He hesitated. I waited patiently for him to go on. "Why did you pick Leo for being the leader? Why… why not me?"_

_I smiled comfortingly at him. "Leonardo has shown great improvement in the past few years," I told him. "He is quickly catching up to the level that you and your other brothers are at, and he has many qualities that make him a great leader."_

"_Oh…" Raphael said quietly, looking at his feet._

"_But that does not mean that you would not make a great leader as well," I said. He looked back up at me. "You are strong and passionate, as well as caring. However, Leonardo possesses certain qualities that make him more qualified."_

_Raphael seemed to process this information. "Thanks, Master Splinter," he said, and turned around and headed to his room._

_I sighed. I had thought long and hard about whether I should choose Leonardo or Raphael for leader. Raphael seemed to be the better the choice. He was able to grasp the lessons I taught him quickly and h moved through them with lightening speed. He was diligent, a hard worker, passionate, and he was the strongest and largest of his brothers. He was also the only one of them to take responsibilities for his actions._

_Leonardo was small, clumsy, and far behind his brothers in the lessons I was teaching them. Though he had mastered his own weapons to a certain point, he was having trouble using the other weapons that I had given his brothers. He was slow in his movements, not mention that he had an extremely irrational fear of heights._

_However, though he possessed all those negative qualities, he also possessed good ones as well. He was stubborn, hard working, and compassionate. He was protective of his brothers, and he was very careful with how he handled situations. He was also determined, and for the past few years, practiced by himself routinely, and he was quickly moving up to the level that his brothers were at._

_These qualities, as well as the protective nature of being the eldest brother, made Leonardo the best qualified for being leader._

_There was a quiet shuffling outside my door._

"_Enter" I called._

_There was no movement for a second, and the Leonardo poked his head around the door._

"_Master Splinter?"_

"_Come in, child," I called. He carefully came around the doorway, clutching the small medal tightly in his hands. "Should you not be in bed?"_

_Leonardo looked at his feet. "Master Splinter, I…" he stuttered slightly. "I… just wanted to tell you… I… I think you made a mistake…"_

"_How so?"_

_He looked up at me, tears in his eyes, as he held out the medal. "I'm not good enough to be leader…" he said in a small voice, swallowing thickly. "Raph should be leader. He really wanted to be leader…"_

_I smiled softly at him, then crouched and held out my arms. "Come here, my son."_

_Leonardo slowly came towards me, and I wrapped my arms around him. He clutched tightly at me._

"_Why do you think that Raphael should be leader?" I asked him._

_He looked up at me, a tear trickling down his face. "Because I'm not as good as him and he really, really, REALLY wants to be," Leonardo said, sniffling. "And I'm at a lower level than Raph and he's a good fighter and stuff… plus Donny and Mikey do whatever he says…"_

_I hugged the small turtle closely to me. "Leonardo," I told him. "I chose you as leader because you have are compassionate and look out for your brothers, no matter the cost for yourself. That is what a truly great leader needs to possess. And though Raphael has shown me these qualities in himself, you do it without thinking about it. And that, my son, is why I have chosen you."_

_Leonardo looked at me, then at the medal. He raised his arms and pulled it over his head, so that it rested in the middle of his chest. I smiled as he looked at me again._

"_Let's get you to bed," I said, and led him to his room. I tucked him in, and turned to leave. But he stopped me as I reached the door._

"_Master Splinter?" he asked sleepily._

_I turned to face him. "Yes?"_

_He yawned. "Does this mean that I don't have to go to practice in the morning?"_

_I smiled. "No, my son," I said. "We will have practice at our usual time and you will be required to attend."_

_He yawned again. " 'Kay," he replied. He turned over on his side, and was asleep before I closed the door._

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

I've always imagined Leo being the smallest of his brothers growing up for some reason. And that when he was officially appointed leader, it came as a surprise to his brothers. That, and Raph couldn't understand why HE wasn't made leader.

Anyways, one more chapter left! Review, and I might consider updating, lol ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Here's the final chapter!!!! Yay!

So, i found that I really like writing chibi turtles :) so I think I'm going to write another, longer story with more chibi's :)

Anyways, I have another One-shot that I should be posting soon... Just have to edit it a little more... actually, I think I have 2 one-shots... I don't remember. I'll have to check my flash-drive, lol.

Anyways, now I'm just rambling. :) Here's the final chapter!!! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The turtles, both young and old, are not mine... :(

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

I listened to the quiet that surrounded the lair, remembering other times that we had spent together. I had often wondered myself if I had made the right decision in choosing Leonardo as leader. There had been times where I had come ever-so-close to revoking his title as leader and giving it Raphael instead. He had had some trouble getting over his fear of heights, and there were other times where my patience with our one-on-one lessons had quickly run thin when he could not grasp what I was trying to teach him.

But he quickly doused those thoughts as time and time again he continued to prove himself. By the time he had reached the age of fifteen, he was a well-conditioned leader. He had overcome his fear of heights, and meditation seemed to help him focus more and he was able to grasp my lessons very quickly. He spent hours every day going over the lessons I had taught him in the past, as well as the lessons that I had just taught them that day. Now, whenever I look at my eldest son, I feel great relief in knowing that he would be able to take over when I had to leave this earth.

_Leonardo looked at me with a mixture of shock, sadness, and confusion. "Master Splinter, I… I don't understand…"_

"_What is not to understand, my son?"_

_He looked me in the eyes. "I… have I done something wrong…?"_

_I sighed. "Leonardo, it has nothing to do with your actions. It has to do with completing your leadership training."_

_My son continued to stare at me with that look on his face. "Yes, Master Splinter," he said quietly, and bowed from where he kneeled on the floor in front of me._

_I bowed slightly as well. "You will leave in the morning."_

_Leonardo's eyes went wide, but he nodded. "Yes, Sensei…" He stood, and turned his back to me, walking out the door._

_It was time for Leonardo to finish his training, but I was not able to teach him any more. What he must learn, he can only learn from himself, and so I must send him away. With his brothers always around, there would be no way for him to understand what he had to accomplish._

_I listened as Leonardo went up the steps and entered his room, quietly shutting the door as he entered. I couldn't hear anything else after that._

_It was a while later that I exited my room Michelangelo was asleep on the couch, television still on. Raphael was dozing slightly in the chair, and Donatello had fallen asleep once again in the lab that he had constructed a few years ago. I headed up the stairs and walked to Leonardo's room, where I knocked quietly on his door. There was some scuffling in the other side before he opened the door._

"_Master Splinter?" he asked, slightly surprised. I almost never came up to the boys rooms._

"_Leonardo," I said. "As your brothers are asleep, I think it best that you leave as soon as possible."_

"_But… I won't be able to say goodbye…" he said quietly._

"_It will be better if there are no goodbyes," I told him. "It will make everything much more difficult. I will explain to your brothers in the morning."_

_My son looked slightly crushed, but I was feeling bad as well. I did not want to send my son away and break this family up, but in order for us to become a better family, it must be so._

"… _Yes… M-Master S-Spl-Splinter…" Leonardo stuttered. He looked down._

"_Come, my son," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I will walk you to the door."_

_I led him down the steps and to the door. He paused, only for a moment, to run an eye over his brothers. He then turned and continued to follow me. He stood at the door and faced me._

"_Goodbye, father…" He said, bowing._

_I smiled encouragingly at him, then pulled him into a tight hug. "Good luck, Leonardo."_

_We broke away, and he stepped out into the sewer. He looked back once, and then ran ahead, the only thing on his back his weapons. He carried nothing else._

_I wiped a tear from my eye as I shut and locked the door to our home. Then I turned and headed to my room to meditate._

TMNT

_In the morning, as my sons were eating breakfast, I entered the kitchen. They looked up as I did so._

"_Good morning, my sons," I greeted._

"_Good morning, sensei," they chorused._

"_I wish to speak to you," I told them. "When you are finished with your breakfast, please come to the dojo."_

_I headed to the dojo after, but out of the corner of my eye I saw them exchange glances._

_It was only a few minutes until I heard the three of them heading to the practice area, talking in low voices to each other. They entered, and kneeled before me. I saw Michelangelo and Donatello glance at the spot that Leonardo normally occupied._

"_My sons," I began, but Raphael interrupted, getting straight to the point that I was about to discus with them._

"_Shouldn't we wait for Fearless Leader?" he asked gruffly._

_I gave him a look that silenced him. "That Is what I wanted to discuss with you," I said. "Leonardo has left for a few months to train. He has gone to Central America and will not be back for a long time."_

_My three youngest sons stared at me in shock, and Raphael had a look of anger on his face. He and Leonardo had never gotten along since the day I had named the leader. I could only imagine what he was thinking._

_I waited to see what my sons would say, but they seemed a little speechless. It was finally Michelangelo who broke the silence._

"_He… didn't even want to tell us goodbye?" he asked, and I could tell from his voice that he seemed hurt._

_I shook my head. "I told him that it would be better if he did not."_

"_Figures," Raphael snorted. I gave him a look, but he glared back at me. "I'm going out," he said, and stood and walked out the door._

_My other two sons stared at where he had disappeared, then turned their eyes back to me. I sighed. "Morning practice will be cancelled for today."_

_The two of them nodded and left, talking quietly as they did so. I sighed. Maybe I had a made a mistake…_

_No. It was the right thing to do._

Over the next few months, letters from my son arrived regularly, telling of what he was doing in his time away. My sons, even Raphael, got excited every time a letter came, and Michelangelo took to pinning them up on the fridge in the kitchen.

But as the time for his return came closer, letters stopped coming. When the night for his return finally arrived, it was with heavy hearts that we discovered that he was not going to come. I worried that something had happened, but after meditating for a while, I was convinced that my eldest was perfectly healthy. Letters no longer came. Michelangelo and Donatello employed themselves, and Raphael became distant. He seemed miles away, and rarely talked to anyone.

When my son finally arrived home, everything seemed to be easier. And as soon as Raphael and Leonardo made their peace with one another, everything turned out to be for the better.

I was erupted from my thoughts as I heard the door to our home open and my sons enter. Michelangelo said something, and Donatello and Leonardo laughed. Raphael grunted, and from the yelp that came floating to my ears, I could only guess that my son in red had hit my youngest upside the head.

Leonardo entered my room, poking his head around the door, just like he had done for years.

"We have returned, master," he said, body relaxed and laughter in his eyes. "Our run was a success."

"I am glad to hear it, my son," I said. "Enjoy the rest of your night. You can give me a full run-down in the morning."

He looked slightly surprised, then smiled softly at me. He bowed his head. "Goodnight, father."

"Goodnight, my son."

He carefully closed the door and I heard him walk back to his brothers. I listened as the four of them sat in front of the television to watch a movie. Eventually, one by one, they began to drift asleep. As I listened to their soft snores and the gentle hum of our home, I smiled, remembering…

I remembered time were I had almost given up, times when I had disciplined them. Times of hardship, times of joy. Times of celebration and times where it seemed that things would never be the same. Times that made me laugh, and times that made me cry.

I remembered every single minute of my four sons lives, and smiled, closing my eyes, feeling pride wash over me.

I loved them, ever since the moment I had found them. And I always would love them, no matter what happened.

It was with this thought, that I finally succumbed to sleep, and I let the darkness surround me. I took a long, deep breath, closed my eyes… and smiled.

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

The ending was supposed to leave you guessing... Lol. Not sure if it worked or not.

So, I'm not sure how this "First Person Point of View" worked out. I think I'll try another one... Let me know what you think!


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